Big Agnes - Divide Insulated Sleeping Mat - Regular Wide

Have you considered a camping cot? There are a lot of ultralight options now which are about the same price as a good sleeping pad for side sleepers. The only difference being is the weight, you’re looking at around 1.5kg for a cot bed which would be double the weight of a sleeping pad. For me, the extra weight is worth it for the comfort. For context I’ve tried Therm-a-Rest, Big Agnes and Nemo mats. If I’m going for comfort, the cot bed wins every time.

My Big Agnes Divide works for me, and I'm a side sleeper.

It's very simple if it blows up with air and inflates - at SOME point it's gonna get a hole in it. That's life! The whole air mattress thing started with Therm-a-rest's and they were pretty tough back then, now with everybody sporting hard-on's for "ultralight" gear its gonna get worse. Same goes for actual air mattress, you can sleep on them but if you're not in Texas or Arizona yer still gonna freeze your butt off. Here's why ....... People these days buy inflatable pads for the comfort, but you really need them for the insulative qualities they actually provide. Don't believe me go sleep on the actual ground one night. When you crawl in to your sleeping bag you actually crush the down or syntho fill in the bag so there is no insulation there under you and the cold even in summer can seep right in. You need a pad under you to keep you off the ground ..... the best ones for that are still the cheap blue ensolite foamy's you buy at the cheaper stores but yes, for comfort they suck. There is a yellow thicker brand called Zotefoams Evazote and they got up to an inch thick but I haven't seem them for years but they were good quality and tough and CAN'T deflate ! So ultimately if you want comfort you need to go buy a big chunk of open cell white foam four inches thick and 7 feet long like you see in hobby stores - mega comfy and the size of a house! But now you can't pack it anyway so you're back to the blow up pads - and that's it. You can go to stores and look at stuff like Futons and crap but they don't pack well ! Heck even Ikea makes a folding mattress but again good luck carrying it around, right? Pick one but they WILL get a hole in them at some point however you can try to limit that with a cot. I've used them for years and its nice. I'm gonna suggest a Cabella's Lounger Cot but they are $350 bloody bucks and the same goes a real camping pad, something like a Exped Megamat itself is $400 bucks by itself. The two cots I wanna get are gonna cost me $405 bucks so add in two decent pads like Expeds and they're $500 .... great huh? It's nuts at a thousand bucks! I actually might just go get some memory foam cut at an RV store and use that. They can't deflate and its about the same bloody price as these inflatable ones, granted it won't be near as packable and portable but both my Thermarest leak, both my Big Agnes pad leak, even the TWO Coleman air beds leak, you can't win. My tent is 210 sq feet and 10 feet tall so I don't need backpack-ability either ........

Big Agnes pads are some of the toughest out there as far as I can know, yet I have gone through three because of punctures. Each time the holes have been so small that I can't find them without getting to a hotel and submerging them in the tub. The company is great about replacing them, but I've gone back to foam mats.

I used a Nemo tensor +tyvek through all of the AZT. No punctures. Everything is poky in az. Consider tyvek. It’s the most comfy UL pad I could find as a side sleeper. Otherwise my big Agnes divide is more comfy but heavy.

Big Agnes is the best I’ve found. Pricey but well worth it.

Big Agnes and sea to summit checks all your boxes. Small/compact, uses vertical baffles to prevent that bouncy castle feeling and provide actual support

We have the big Agnes for the last two years now and it’s the best pad I’ve ever slept on. Suggestion to get the wide version, that bit of extra width really adds to the comfort, plus the thicker “rails” really help keep you on the pad. Durability seems good as well, we camp with our Australian Shepherd and thy hold up to him pretty well lol. Also grab an air pump off of Amazon, we grabbed one for about $30 that charges via USB C and is much quicker than the pump bag. We just give it a couple firming pumps with the bag and it’s good to go.

Plus one. I have a therm-a-rest Xtherm, two cheap Amazon pads (they didn’t last), a Big Agnes, and I’ve tried the foam pads (they’re not for me). Exped seems to have the best tech. Their pads are quiet, comfy, reliable, and I love the synthetic down on the inside

I really like the ones that aren’t as tall. I’m a not a big guy. But my arms always fall off them. Having that drop be 2+ inches like it was on my big Agnes was very uncomfortable.

75l gregory bag, big agnes inflatable mattress (comfy)

I am an "active" side sleeper, someone who changes side 4-6 times a night. When on my side I've very much in the recovery position like you, and as such I cannot stand being restricted in a sleeping bag. I use a [Big Agnes Divide Insulated Wide](https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/divide-insulated-sleeping-mat---regular-wide/) mat and it is super comfortable. I pair this with an [Ice Flame Extra Quilt](https://iceflamegear.com/product/extra-quilt-32f-standard/) which is rated to 0C/32F. I opted for the additional 200g of fill to make it extra snuggly. I've had this combo down below zero (somewhere between -2c and -5c) and I would not want to use it much colder than that. Anything down to 0C though and I've been toasty warm all night long. If you have a bit more cash to splash then the [Zenbivy Light Bed](https://zenbivy.co.uk/pages/light-bed) sleep system looks like the absolute dream for a sleeper like me. This is top of my list for upgrades.

I have a Big Agnes Divide insulated pad. Was about $80-90 when I got it on sale. Comes in various sizes including 25x72” It’s about 3-4” thick when inflated. Probably the comfiest pad I’ve slept on.

I try to save weight everywhere so that I can "afford" a heavy inflatable pad. I've got a Big Agnes something or other. Its heavy, but my hips dont touch amd the numbness issue is much better than before. I value sleep over an extra pound in my pack.

The issue I have with the Neoloft is it makes my shoulder numb. I spend most of my time on my side, but I toss and turn like crazy. I was playing around with the inflation level but so far haven't solved the numbness issue. Other than that, I agree with you it's probably the most comfortable pad I've yet tried. The Big Agnes Divide is very good and weighs about the same. Both these pads are just under 2lbs if you get the Wide version. This one has vertical baffles that I think work better for me, especially as a very active sleeper to keep me centered. No numbness. I have a CCF Switchback that I only used once without much grass under it. It was hard on my back and pretty much makes side sleeping impossible. I want to try it again with some taller grass underneath to pad it. There may be some times where the weight savings are worth.

Bought my Big Agnes pad for $100 at REI ten years ago and still going strong. Not a single leak. I’m a side sleeper and it’s pretty comfy. 

I just got the Trekology UL R7 sleeping pad for my husband and I. Only slept on it one night but it was comfy. I’m a side sleeper. Trying them again Easter weekend so we’ll see. We got the Nemo Tempo bags. For my kids (about the same age as yours), we got the Big Agnes Divide because it fits in a sleeve for their sleeping bags (also Big Agnes) so they don’t roll onto the ground. We did pay more than some other stuff but we went fairly lightweight and compressable in case we try backpacking too.

I've been using the Big Agnes Divide for a 3 seasons pad the last few years. I paid 50 bucks for it on sale. Also, recommend the $20 rechargeable pocket pump for the pad. We'll worth the extra few grams.

I started on the old school thermarest shortie, then a full length, then switched to a big agnes inflatable--which i liked but went through two of them with bad valves. Switched to a nemo a couple of years ago, and love it. It's a little "crinkly" sounding, but otherwise well worth it. Good choice :-)

I'd say it's at the very least quieter than my Big Agnes that I used most recently. In all honesty at 390lbs every thing is noisy when I toss and turn, but I wouldn't say it's extra noisy or anything. As far as better than self inflating, I'd say yes by a large margin. That being said, I've also got to admit the last self inflating pad I regularly used was probably 10 years ago. I'd assume tech has come a long way since my last self inflating pad but I don't know for sure. I never had one that would ever keep me completely off the ground the entire night. there were always high and low spots and not much insulation back then. If you do go that route at the very least I'd try to find the thickest pad in your budget. Also on noise, maybe a pad cover like the Thermarest Synergy may help as well. I'm looking into that as a little extra protection from dog claws but I'm sure it would dampen noise too.

I am calling BS on the OP claim of a Dollar General pool float working hell, they don’t even work in a pool much less on the ground in a tent. I have a big Agnes divide, insulated three season pad. It works great doesn’t leak is very durable and worth every penny. I sleep well at night on it.

They have explicitly said in their original post that their original mats are too heavy for wild camping. Offering up a 2kg mat is merely trading one unsuitable option for another. There is a reason Exped themselves market this as a "base camp mat". My suggestion would be to get a closed cell mat for the dog and something like the Big Agnes Divide Insulated (~800g) for the people. I have one of these and am a side sleeper and they are very comfortable. I'm far from the smallest of people either and it has stood up to my weight (laying and sitting) for over two years so can attest to its durability. And on top of all this, it is £75 cheaper than the Megamat.

I use a Big Agnes Divide Insulated mat. It has an R value of 4.0 which has kept me warm all year round in temps down to about -5. Packs up pretty small and is a doddle to get back in its bag. The bundled pump sack is crap though, it just leaves in one of my gear bins and I use a Flextail pump.

As I side sleeper, I have found some of the Big Agnes pads to be very comfortable, and quiet. I've been through several different types and brands of pads over the years (decades) I like that the sides are higher on the BA pads, which keep you from rolling off the mat. It's not that they are super high to physically prevent you from rolling off. It's the subconcious thing that when you feel that extra height, your brain does it, even when asleep. The 25 inch wide pads are much better for side sleepers. I'd go with a 30 inch wide, but they only make that width in a few long pads. For biking, you may not mind the extra ounces for the 30 inch wide, long pad. I have one, and wish I could cut it shorter, but afraid to do so, for fear of not being able to seal it properly. None of the name brand pads are inexpensive. The new Therm-a-Rest NeoLoft looks good, and has many good reviews. If I didn't already have a few BA pads, I'd be tempted to buy a NeoLoft. The next time I'm at REI, I may try one, just to see.

Second for the BA divide. Just bought one and used it on a 2 week trip. I didn't want to get out of bed.

Big Agnes is what I use. They are so much quieter than other inflatables.

I just got the Trekology UL R7 sleeping pad for my husband and I. Only slept on it one night but it was comfy. I’m a side sleeper. Trying them again Easter weekend so we’ll see. We got the Nemo Tempo bags. For my kids (about the same age as yours), we got the Big Agnes Divide pad because it fits in a sleeve for their sleeping bags (also Big Agnes) so the kids don’t roll onto the ground. We did pay more than some other stuff but we went fairly lightweight and compressable in case we try backpacking too.